Train-pipe coupling



G. A. SAGER.

v TRAIN PIPE coup-LING.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.22, |918.

Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

G. A. SAGER.

. TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.`

APPLICATION msn ocT.22.19xa.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Nov. 11, 1919'.

GEORGE A. sAGEE, on ALBANY, NEW YORK.

TRAIN-PIPE COUPLING.

Application led October 22, 1918.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it knownthat I, GEORGE A. SAGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Train-Pipe Couplings, of which the following is a specil'ication.

This invention relates to train pipe couplings and more particularly to a coupling designed for employment between a locomotive and its tender for conducting water from the tender to the injector i'ory the locomotive boiler, and it is one object of the invention to provide a coupling which will possess the desired degree of iexibility so that its functions will not be interfered with because of any relative movement of the locomotive and tender, and yet the coupling will be entirely water-tight so as to provide against leaka e.

Another ob] ect of the invention is to rovide a coupling for the urpose state so constructed that while evoid of ieXible pipe connections, it will not become disarranged, nor will .its functions be in any way impaired because ofv yielding of the draw bar connections between the locomotive and its tender under running conditions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coupling embodyingtwo members or sections designed one for attachment to the locomotive and the other` for attachment to the tender, and a third section which establishes communication between the'rstmentioned members or Sections, and which is bodily removable from betweenthe sections upon uncoupling of the locomotive and tender, when occasion arises and which will be firmly held in place when' the locomotive `and tender are coupled together, and this withoutr the-v employment of any bolts. or other securingy devices or any automatic locking means such as ordinarily employed.

In the accompanying drawings.: i Figure 1 is a top' plan view, parts being shown in horizontal Section, illustrating the coupling embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the coupling;

Fig. 3 isa rear elevation of thatmember of the coupling which is to Abemounted upon the locomotive tender;`

Fig f1 is a vertical transverse sectional viewfonzthe linee- 1 of Fig.V 1;

. Fig; 51s a horizontal sectional view illus? Specification ofilietters Patent'.

Serial No. 259,212.

tratin'g the positions which the parts-.will assume. when the locomotive and tender are roundin a curve.

As be ore stated, thec'ouplingv embodying thepresent invention includes acoupling head which isto be mounted upon the locomotive, a coupling head which is' to be mounted upon the'tender, anda coupling pipe section which is to be disposed between the said heads and establishes communicationn therebetween. The locomotive coupling head,indicated in general by the reference letter A, includes a body 1 which'is4 provided at its upper side with an -attaching base. portion 2 designed to be bolted 2to the under side of the rear sill of theV locomotive and thus rigidly secured in place'. The-body lof the coupling head A is formed with a cylindrical bore indicated by the numeral 3, this bore opening through they rear side of the head and being increased in `diameter at its rear end as indicated by the numeral 4 and for a purpose to be presently pointed out. At its` forward end, the bore 3 communicates with one branch of a T 5 from the other branches of which T lead pipes 6 which serve to conduct the water supplied from the tender', to the right and left hand injectors for ,the locomotive boiler. A bushing 7 preferably of bronze is fitted within thebore 3, and telescopically fitted within this bushing is a pipe section 8 which at its rear end extends beyond the rear side of the coupling head A and is provided with a ball socket 9. Although the' pipe section 8 Patented Nov. 11,1919.

is, as stated, slidably itted within thebush- Y ing 7 leakage is provided against by means which will` now be described. lThe formation of the enlarged portion t of the bore 3 results in a shoulder 10 against which bears one end of a compression' spring 11.which is fitted within the said enlarged portion of the bore, this spring surrounding the pipe vsection 8 andkk bearing atfits other or rear endagainst a ring 12 which likewise surrounds the said pipe section 8 and is located withinv the venlarg'el'nent of the bore. The ring 12 bears against a mass of so-t packingfl disposed 'about the pipe -section k8 within the enlargement t and compresses this packing against the beveled inner face 14 of a cap 15 which is .bolted or otherwise secured to the rear side of the coupling head A and closes the enlarged end ofthe bore-,3. The

Vpressure of the spring 11l againstthering 12 Will; :as stated, compressfthe packing 13 and.Y

'securely anchor the rods in place. Vrods extend forwardly from the lugs bethus close the same in a water-tight manner about the pipe 8 and against the wall of the enlargement 4 of the bore 3. l

The pipe section 8 is to be held projected rearwardly through a yieldable means whichY will now be described. The socket 9 at the rear end of the pipe section 8 is formed at its diametrically opposite sides with later-V ally projecting lugs 16 into which are threaded the forward ends of rods 17, jam or lock nuts 18 being threaded onto the rear extremities of these rods whereby to The lthe rods 17 are slidably fitted, the rods being provided upon their forward ends with nuts or other abutment elements indicated by the numeral 22 and which elements are designed to abut against the said closed forward ends of the respective sleeve sockets 20 to limit the rearward movement of the pipe section S. Such movement of the pipe section is influenced by springs 23 which are of the compression type and are fitted to the rods 17 and bear at their rear 'ends against the respective lugs 16 and at their rear portions extend into the bores 19 of the sleeve sockets 2O and bear aga-inst the inner or forward ends of the bores. VThese springs, of course, exert a pressure in a rearward direction against the lugs 16 to yieldably hold the pipe section 8 at the limit of its rearward movement, but the pipe section 8 may, of course, slide forwardly in the bushing 7 or, more generally speaking, in the body of the spring head A, against the tension of the said springs 23.

The coupling head which is to be secured to the tender is indicated in general by the reference letter B and the saine comprises a body 24 provided with an attaching base 25 designed to be bolted to the under side of the forward sill of the tender. This body 24 has a passage 26 communicating with a `ball socket 27 corresponding in contour to the socket 9 and positioned opposite the same when the locomotive and tender are coupled. The body 24 is also formed with branch passages 28 which communicate with the inner end of the passage 26 and from which lead pipes 29 which extend to the right and left hand sides of the tank of the tender. f

The intermediate or coupling section of the device, indicated in general by the reference letter C, is in the nature of a pipe 30 of a suitable length exteriorly formed with ball ends 31 of a contour and dimensions to fit within the ball sockets 9 and 27 of the coupling heads A and B in the manner of a ball and socket joint, it being understood,

`and particularly by reference to Fig. 5 of -comotive and its tender, the ball ends 81 of the coupling section C are disposed opposite the ball sockets 9 and 27 and they locomotive is backed to the tender, the said ends of the coupling section C will seat within the ball sockets and the pipe section 8 of the cou- Vpling head A will be moved forwardly against the tension of the springs 23. Therefore, these springs 23 will cause the pipe section 8 to exert a longitudinal thrust against the coupling section C holding the 'ball ends of the said section firmly in the ballsockets of the two coupling heads regardless of any lateral or angular displacement of the locomotive and tender with relation to each other and also regardless of the slight separation of the engine and tender through yielding of the springs of the draft rigging. Itwill be understood, of course, that the coupling sections C may be made in various lengths so that the coupling as a whole may be adapted for instalment upon various types of locomotives and tenders and in which the distances might vary con" siderably between the rear sill of the locomotive and the forward sill of the tender, it being only necessary, in such adaptation of the coupling, to employ a coupling section C of the proper length.

As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings, each of the sleeves 2O is formed on its under side witha longitudinally extending slot 20 so that any foreign matter which would otherwise accumulate in these sleeves will be permitted to escape.

1n the forward end of the T 5 there is provided a tapped opening 5 for the connection of a steam nozzle (not shown) for the purpose of preventing freezing of the parts of the coupling in cold weather.

Preferably, the members A and B are provided at their undersides as well as their upper sides with attaching leases indicated respectively by 2 and 25 which mayserve as supports for other equipment.

It will be observed that the threads of the rods 17 which are engaged by the nuts 22 extend for a considerable portion of the length of the rods s0. that should it be desired to remove the member 80, these nuts may Ibe turned up upon the rods until they bear against the closed ends ofthe sleeves 20 and upon further rotation will'serve to draw the rods forwardly so as to retract the socket member 9 a suiiicient distance to permit of the said removal of the member C. Y

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. In avpipe coupling of the class described, a coupling head having a bore, a pipe section slidably fitted in the bore and provided at its outer end with a ball socket to receive the ball head of a coupling section, said coupling head being provided at its opposite sides with tubular guides, rods each connected at one end with the said pipe section, the said rods working in the said guides, springs upon the rods yieldably holding the pipe section in projected position, and adjustable abutment elements upon the other ends of the rods for engagement with the ends of the respective guides to limit the outward movement of the said rods under the influence of the springs, the said guides constituting housings for the spring.

2. In a pipe coupling of the class described, a coupling head having a bore and provided at its opposite sides with tubular guides each open at one endrand closed at the other end, a pipe section slidably tted in the ibore and provided with a ball socket to receive the ball end of a coupling section, the said ball socket being provided with bearing portions, rods secured each at one end to the respective bearing portions, the said rods extending into the said guides and slidably tting through the closed ends of the res ective uides s rinO's u on the rods g a a bearing against the respective bearing portions of the ball socket Vand extending into the respective guides and bearing against the closed ends thereof, the said rods beyond the closed ends of the guides being threaded, and nuts adj ustably iitted onto the threaded portions of the rods and constituting adjustable abutments to contact the said closed ends of the respective guides to limit the outward movement of the rods under the influence of the springs. f

`3; In a coupling of the class described, a coupling head provided at its upper side with an attaching` base adapting it to be secured to an under frame, the said head being provided at its lower side with a head providing for the attachment of other equipment.

a. In a pipe coupling of the class described, a coupling head havinoa bore, a pipe section slidably telescopically tted within the bore and having a ball socket, a second coupling head provided with a ball socket, the second head being relatively fixed, a coupling section having ball ends disposed to seat within said sockets, and means associated with the said slidable pipe section yieldably holding the same projected in the direction of the xed coupling head whereby to exert a longitudinal thrust upon the coupling section to holdL its ball ends in engagement in the ball sockets, the said ball ends of the coupling-section being freely engaged in the said sockets and non-restrained Y from separation therefrom whereby when the pipe section is retracted against the projecting means therefor, the said coupling section will be automatically released from engagement in the sockets.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

scones A. saone. [L Sg Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

